Swifts are small migratory birds that belong to the Apodidae family. They are known for their speedy and agile flight, and for spending most of their lives airborne. Swifts get their name from the Old English word “swift”, meaning “to move quickly”. However, they are also sometimes referred to as “devil birds” due to some of their strange behaviors and associations.
Appearance and Behavior
Swifts have very aerodynamic bodies that allow them to fly for long periods without landing. Their wings are long, curved and pointed, resembling a crescent or a boomerang shape when extended. Their tails are short and forked. Swifts have short legs that are used primarily for perching rather than walking or hopping.
When swifts are not in flight, they cling to vertical surfaces, using their claws to gain purchase. They are unable to perch on branches or cables like many other birds. Their feet have evolved to be adept at clinging and climbing but not well suited for perching. This gives swifts an unusual “demon-like” appearance when they are positioned upside down.
Swifts spend almost their entire lives on the wing, even sleeping and mating while airborne. They land only to nest and rear their young. Their speed and agility in flight is impressive – swifts have been recorded reaching speeds of over 100 km/hr when diving through the air to catch insects. Their erratic, zig-zagging flight patterns and high-pitched screaming calls add to their chaotic, frenzied reputation.
Association with Storms and the Supernatural
In Europe, swifts have long been associated with dark supernatural forces, evil spirits and impending storms. This is partly due to their unusual characteristics and behaviors. However, it also stems from the fact that swifts typically arrive in Europe in early May, coinciding with old pagan festivals like Beltane that marked the beginning of summer. These events celebrated fertility but also had connections to the spirit world. The sudden appearance of swifts en masse was therefore viewed as a mystical, unearthly phenomenon.
Additionally, swifts would suddenly vacate towns and villages just before major storms were about to hit. Their disappearance was believed to signal impending rain, wind and danger. This bolstered the perception that swifts were connected to storms and possessed an ability to foretell the weather. Their dark coloration and piercing screams added to their ominous and devilish reputation in the folklore of certain regions.
Association with Witches and Spirits
In medieval times, swifts were thought to be associated with witches, black magic and evil spirits. Their agile flying skills led to a belief that the birds were animated by demonic forces rather than natural physical processes. It was claimed that witches were able to transform themselves into swifts in order to attend their nocturnal gatherings and Sabbaths.
Swifts nesting inside church steeples and roof spaces were considered an ill omen and connected to the devil. They were thought to be stealing sanctity from the churches and synonymous with corrupting evil influences. Some churches went so far as to use noise and spikes to deter swifts from nesting in their buildings in order to avoid the damned connotations.
The eerie screaming calls of swifts were likened to the pained shrieks of the souls of unbaptized children condemned to flit perpetually in darkness. Their flight on moonlit nights would conjure visions of witches and evil spirits swooping through the sky to terrorize the living.
Association with Death
In certain regions of Europe, seeing a swift fly below the level of a house’s roof was considered an omen portending the imminent death of someone within. It was thought that the devil flew with the bird in these instances in order to retrieve a soul. Some believed that swifts themselves carried souls to the afterlife.
Swifts nesting near homes would sometimes incorporate horse hairs into their nests. Since horses were closely involved in funerary processions, this was seen as the swifts actively forming an association with death. Finding swift nests lined with horse hair reinforced their macabre and sinister connections in local lore.
The sudden disappearance of swifts from a town just prior to a severe storm was also seen as the birds foretelling calamity and death. Their dark coloring and screaming voices lent themselves to interpretations of swifts as heralds of doom and destruction.
Unusual Nesting Habits
The nesting habits of swifts also contributed to their devilish reputation. Swifts create nests lined with saliva in narrow crevices and holes, often inside chimneys and under roof eaves. Their use of human structures was seen as an intrusion by demonic forces into man-made spaces. Homeowners would often hear eerie rustling and shrieking coming from within their walls due to the swifts.
When nestlings fell or fledged prematurely, swifts would continue to feed them while they lay helpless on the ground. However, to the uninformed observer, the adult swifts appeared to be pecking viciously at the youngster. This led to an impression of swifts as diabolical killers of their own young.
The nests themselves were constructed from improbable materials scavenged from the air while flying – feathers, straw, lichen, even animal bones and hair. This suggested occult forces at work and added to their aura of darkness and witchery.
Nocturnal Behavior
The fact that swifts are most actively feeding around dawn and dusk also contributed to their association with the supernatural. Their shrieking flight patterns just before nightfall seemed linked to the awakening of evil spirits as night descended. The swifts’ wandering cries also continued through the night, heightening their stigma as heralds of witching hour mischief.
Swifts were seen as belonging to the night and darkness rather than the day and light. Their erratic flight on moonlit nights conjured images of frantic witch gatherings and ghostly spirits at work. The fact that swifts spent nearly their entire lives airborne added to their mystical aura, since they seemed only partly of the natural world.
Unusual Diet
Swifts feed exclusively on insects captured in mid-air, mostly small flies, aphids and aerial spiders. They even drink and bathe by skimming along ponds and rivers and gulping down mouthfuls of water. This meant swifts rarely if ever alighted on the ground to feed or drink like other birds. Their aerial lifestyle linked them to the heavens and air, rather than the terrestrial world, which added to their supernatural reputation.
Swifts sometimes entered chimneys in their pursuit of aerial insects. The birds would then become covered in soot and take on a dark, foreboding appearance. The disorderly chase of swifts around chimneys seemed connected to witchcraft and black magic in the minds of medieval observers.
Misconceptions and Persecution
The unusual appearance, habits and behaviors of swifts fueled misconceptions that led to them being feared and persecuted in earlier eras. However, modern understanding recognizes that swifts are simply exceptionally well adapted aerial hunters that are unique in the bird world. Their speed, agility and aerial lifestyle gave rise to mythological connections that led to an unfounded reputation as “devil birds.”
Many of the aspects of swifts that contributed to their sinister reputation can be explained by their specialized biology. Their wide gape facilitates catching insects on the wing. Their small legs and feet evolved for clinging due to the fact they spend almost their entire lives in flight. Their nesting habits are ingenious adaptations to the aerial environments they occupy.
The influence of superstition and lack of ornithological knowledge in past centuries caused swifts to be unfairly maligned. Today, we can appreciate swifts for their remarkable aerial talents and global migrations without unsubstantiated fears. The devilish myths surrounding swifts can now be recognized as erroneous and unfounded.
Conclusion
In summary, swifts acquired their unsettling “devil bird” reputation from:
- Their unusual appearance and flight habits
- Arriving with summer storms and pagan festivals
- Nesting in churches and human structures
- Nocturnal feeding and breeding behaviors
- Associations with death and the supernatural
- Use of saliva nests lined with improbable materials
- Misconceptions about killing their own young
However, modern science has demystified swifts and shown that these traits are simply evolutionary adaptations to their aerial lifestyle. The misplaced connections to witchcraft, evil spirits and the devil were products of superstition and lack of scientific understanding in earlier times.
